Rethinking Christianity Collection (2 vols.)

Overview

In an age where “hypocritical” and “judgmental” are used to describe Christians, it’s easy to see why young adults are disengaging from their faith communities as they transition to adulthood. The Rethinking Christianity Collection presents two studies of teens and twenty-somethings that came from Christian backgrounds and analyzes the reasons these young adults left the church. The collection examines negative perceptions of Christianity among American culture and shows how the Christian community has failed to equip its youth to be Christ-followers. It contains insights from numerous respected Christian leaders and offers Christian parents, leaders, and educators tools for contributing a lasting and vibrant faith to the next generation of young adults.

The Logos version of the Rethinking Christianity Collection provides you with unique benefits available nowhere else. Scripture references appear on mouseover and link to your preferred translation. This collection fully integrates into your digital library, cross-referencing to your dictionaries and other reference tools and allowing you to discover what other pastors, scholars, and theologians have to say about faith, discipleship, and spiritual formation.

Key Features

Presents two studies of young adults with negative perceptions of Christianity

Analyzes the changes Christian leaders and laypeople need to make to positively represent Christ to the world

You Lost Me: Why Young Christians Are Leaving Church . . . and Rethinking Faith

Is the church losing the next generation? Millions of young Christians are disconnecting from church as they transition into adulthood. They’re real people, not just statistics. And each one has a story to tell.

“I knew from church that I couldn’t believe in both science and God, so that was it. I didn’t believe in God anymore.” —Mike

“When I write a song that’s not used in a way that every Christian agrees on, I get hammered. What am I supposed to be using my talents for?” —Sam

“I felt like I had been punched in the stomach . . . I remember thinking on the way home, My non-Christian friends would never do that to me.” —Sarah

“It just feels like the church’s teaching on sexuality is behind the times.” —Dennis

Now Kinnaman reveals the long-awaited results of a new nationwide study of 18–29-year-olds with Christian backgrounds. Discover why so many are disengaging from the faith community, renew your hope for how God is at work in the next generation—and find out how you can join in.

Based on new research conducted by the Barna Group, You Lost Me exposes ways the Christian community has failed to equip young adults to live “in but not of” the world—to follow Christ in the midst of profound cultural change. This wide-ranging study debunks persistent myths about young dropouts and examines the likely consequences for young adults and for the church if we maintain the status quo.

The faith journeys of the next generation are a challenge to the established church, but they can also be a source of hope for the community of faith. Kinnaman, with the help of contributors from across the Christian spectrum, offers ideas for pastors, youth leaders, parents, and educators to pass on a vibrant, lasting faith, and ideas for young adults to find themselves in wholehearted pursuit of Christ.

David Kinnaman is president of The Barna Group, which provides research and resources that facilitate spiritual transformation in people’s lives. Since joining Barna in 1995, David has designed and analyzed nearly 500 studies for a variety of churches, nonprofits, and corporations. He and George Barna write a free research report published online at www.barna.org.

unChristian: What a New Generation Really Thinks about Christianity . . . and Why It Matters

Christianity has an image problem. Christians are supposed to represent Christ to the world. But according to the latest report card, something has gone terribly wrong. Using descriptions like “hypocritical,” “insensitive,” and “judgmental,” young Americans share an impression of Christians that’s nothing short of . . . unChristian.

Groundbreaking research into the perceptions of 16–29-year-olds reveals that Christians have taken several giant steps backward in one of their most important assignments. The surprising details of the study, commissioned by Q and conducted by The Barna Group, are presented with uncompromising honesty in unChristian.

Find out why these negative perceptions exist, learn how to reverse them in a Christlike manner, and discover practical examples of how Christians can positively contribute to culture.

unChristian also includes forward-looking insights from respected Christian leaders, adding their assessment of the problems and their thoughts about how Christians should respond.

David Kinnaman is president of The Barna Group, which provides research and resources that facilitate spiritual transformation in people’s lives. Since joining Barna in 1995, David has designed and analyzed nearly 500 studies for a variety of churches, nonprofits, and corporations. He and George Barna write a free research report published online at www.barna.org.

Gabe Lyons is the author of The Next Christians: The Good News About the End of Christian America and the founder of Q—a learning community that mobilizes Christians to advance the common good in society. Prior to launching Q, Gabe cofounded Catalyst, a national gathering of young leaders. His work represents the perspectives of a new generation of Christians and has been featured by CNN, the New York Times, Fox News, and USA Today.